Rand Paul: “today I wish to recognize the members and leadership of First Baptist Church of Russellville in celebration of the 200th…”

“today I wish to recognize the members and leadership of First Baptist Church of Russellville in celebration of the 200th anniversary of their first meeting in Logan County, KY. At a time when the United States was comprised of only 20 States, a small group of people, including 10 members and three elders, formed a church which held its first meeting on November 24, 1818. For 200 years, the church has worked to meet the needs of its community and to reach far beyond the boundaries of Logan County to minister to the needs of others. The dedicated congregation at First Baptist Church of Russellville has planted three other churches and commissioned several members into full-time overseas missions, including Rev. and Mrs. Sheldon Trimble to Nigeria in 1865; Mary Nell Lynne to China in 1918; Robert and Mavis Hardy to Japan in 1958; Cathy Sue Smith to the Philippines in 1982; and Robert and Julie Johnson to Taiwan in 1992. Furthermore, First Baptist Church of Russellville has given over $3,000,000 to the Cooperative Program of the Southern Baptist Convention, which supports missionaries and trains pastors worldwide. Today, the men, women, and students of First Baptist Church of Russellville continue to play a vital role in the life of their community. I congratulate Pastor Joe Ball and all the members of First Baptist on this truly exceptional milestone. I thank them for all they have done and continue to do through their many generations of service.…”